Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, August 13, 2008

ANDREWS - Linda Marquez and Belma Avena are living double lives until their new schools are finished.

The principals of Underwood and Devonian elementary school, respectively, are busy moving into their new, more spacious quarters and hope to have them finished when school starts Aug. 25.

Marquez, in her 25th year with Andrews ISD, said her 50 teachers started moving in Aug. 11 and Avena's are getting set to follow suit the week of Aug. 18.

"They're huge," Marquez said of the new Underwood and Devonian campuses. Both boast 90,000 square feet, compared to their current 55,000 square feet. Some of the new features include science labs, larger gyms and libraries, a cafeteria with stage and windows.

The buildings will accommodate some 485 students. Devonian will be used for second- and third-graders and Underwood, fourth- and fifth-graders. They are being financed by 2002 and 2006 bonds. Some ,5 million is left over from a ,30 million bond passed in 2002 and an ,18.5 issue million passed in 2006.

"We saw the floor plans and we expected them to be big, but once you actually get in there, they're pretty massive."

One of the more difficult things was purchasing furniture for every room when all they had seen were the school floor plans. Additionally, Marquez said the buys had to be made while TAKS testing was going on at the end of last school year.

"Without actually seeing the space, it was difficult to decide what we could get in," said Avena, who started her career at Devonian and is in her 20th year with the district.

To help, they each formed teams of teachers who offered input and perspective.

"We couldn't have done it without them," Marquez said. "It's hard to make the decisions as just one person. It's good to have ideas and suggestions from others."

Avena said she has had to move grade levels, but never an entire building.

"That's quite an undertaking," Marquez said. But by the end of the week of Aug. 11, she said the teacher work room should be ready and instructors should be in their classrooms.

Asphalting of the student pick up/dropoff area and caulking of windows still needs to be done, they said.

"There are still a lot of details that can only be done at the end of the process," Marquez said.

Without phone service and Internet, both principals said preparing for school has been a bit more difficult, but they don't mind.

"We're going to go right to the wire on the move to the new building, but it's a great problem to have," Marquez said. "We're getting new everything - new furniture, new building, new playground equipment. It is a bit more complicated and a bit more stressful, but it will be worth it."

Registration was recently conducted, so signs with cell phones for the principals and their secretaries were posted on the doors.

"We're working in two areas at the same time, but we're managing," Avena said.

The old Devonian and Underwood buildings will be demolished and the space used for new playgrounds for the schools. It will be September or October before those facilities are ready, however. They will both try to keep artifacts from the buildings once they are torn down.

Neither principal has heard any concerns from parents.

"Everything I've heard as been very positive," Avena said. "They're looking forward to having their kids come to new schools with good facilities. I think they're as excited as we are."

Superintendent David Mitchell is confident the buildings will be completed in time for the Aug. 25 start date.

"I was more uneasy two weeks ago than I am today," Mitchell said Aug. 11. "We've gotten a lot accomplished the last couple of weeks to the exterior part of the campuses. The parking lots and loading/unloading areas for our students still need to be asphalted, but that's scheduled to take place (Aug. 13). That gives us a 10-day window before we get the kids."

"I don't think we'll be anything but apprehensive until we get kids in the classroom. I feel pretty comfortable right now that's going to happen. We're there," he added.